Lower Body Mass Index Cut-off Values for Obesity in China

Fluorinated Liquid-Crystal Monomers in Serum from the General Population and Their Impact on Human Health

Fluorinated liquid-crystal monomers (FLCMs) are a potential emerging class of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds. Humans inevitably ingest FLCMs via food and the environment. However, there are limited studies on internal exposure biomonitoring of FLCMs. Herein, we evaluated the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of FLCMs in the general population based on serum residue levels. For the first time, 38 FLCMs were detected in 314 serum samples from the general population in Beijing, with a median value of 132.48 ng/g of lipid weight (lw). BDPrB is a predominant FLCM in serum. The median EDI of ∑38FLCMs in the general residents was 37.96 pg/kg bw/day. The residual levels of most FLCMs were higher in urban than in suburban areas (p < 0.05). The concentrations of EFPEB, EDPrB, EDFPBB, and PDTFMTFT in serum showed positive associations with blood glucose (GLU) (r = 0.126-0.275, p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that FLCMs were significantly positively correlated with dyslipidemia, with an odds ratio of 2.19; BDPrB was significantly positively correlated with hyperglycemia (OR: 2.48). Overall, the present study suggests the occurrence of FLCMs in the nonoccupational population, and the exposure of certain FLCMs may cause abnormal blood glucose and lipid levels.

Organochlorine pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in serum of Beijing population: Exposure and health risk assessment

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants, but large-scale human biomonitoring and health risk assessment data on these contaminants remain limited. In this study, concentrations of 6 OCPs and 5 PAHs were determined by GC-MS/MS in 1268 human serum samples which were collected from the participants in 2017 Beijing Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance. The detection frequencies of OCPs and PAHs ranged from 64.7 % to 96.5 % and 89.4 % to 99.6 %, respectively. The most abundant contaminants in OCPs and PAHs were pentachlorophenol (PCP) and pyrene (Pyr) with median concentrations reaching up to 3.13 and 8.48 μg/L, respectively. Nonparametric tests were employed to assess the correlations among contaminants levels, demographic characteristics (age, gender, body mass index, residence) and serum biochemical indexes. Significantly higher serum levels of all PAHs were observed in suburb residents than that in urban residents (P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (OR 2.17 [1.29, 3.63]), phenanthrene (OR 1.06 [1.02, 1.11]), fluoranthene (OR 1.04 [1.02, 1.07]) and Pyr (OR 1.02 [1.01, 1.03]) might increase the occurrence of hyperglycemia, and exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (OR 1.53 [1.05, 2.22]) and pentachlorobenzene (OR 1.14 [1.02, 1.27]) were positively associated with hyperlipidemia. Furthermore, the hazard quotients (HQs) for serum HCB, PCP and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene were calculated based on health-based guidance values to predict health risks. 0.2 % and 4.3 % of serum samples showed HQ values exceeding 1 for HCB and PCP, respectively, in case of the non-carcinogenic risk, while 23.1 % of HQs for HCB were above 1 in case of the carcinogenic risk for a risk level 10^-5. Our study reveals that the body burden of the Beijing general population relative to OCPs and PAHs was nonnegligible. The past exposure of HCB and PCP might adversely affect the health status of the Beijing population.

Features and associated factors of bacterial skin infections in hospitalized patients with pemphigus: a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Infections were the primary cause of death (34.3-55.5%) in patients with pemphigus. Skin was usually the origin of infections. The study aimed to explore features and associated factors of bacterial skin infections (BSIs) in inpatients with pemphigus.

METHODS

One hundred and seventy-seven inpatients with pemphigus hospitalizing from November 2014 to April 2019 were continuously recruited through Peking University First Hospital's inpatient records inpatients with pemphigus hospitalizing from November 2014 to April 2019 were continuously recruited through Peking University First Hospital's inpatient records. Then, we retrieved the clinical and laboratory data to explore the characteristics and associated factors of BSIs.

RESULTS

Of patients enrolled, pemphigus vulgaris (PV, n = 142) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF, n = 9) were most common, followed by pemphigus erythematosus (PE, n = 25) and pemphigus vegetans (Pveg, n = 1). Eighty-seven of 177 (49.2%) inpatients developed BSIs, and they had a longer length of stay compared with inpatients without BSIs (median: 18.9 vs. 14.1 days, p = 0.008). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria (71.3%, 62/87) and highly resistant to penicillin (91.9%, 57/62). Higher levels of anti-Dsg1 autoantibodies (> 124.2 U/mL) (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 3.564, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.784-7.123) and anti-Dsg3 autoantibodies (> 169.5 U/mL) (p = 0.03, OR = 2.074, 95% CI: 1.084-3.969) were underlying risk factors of BSIs when analyzed by binary regression analysis. As for Gram's stain of bacteria, females had a lower rate of Gram-positive infections (p = 0.03). Patients using oral antibiotics (p = 0.05) had a higher rate of Gram-negative infections. Inpatients who were hospitalized in other hospitals within 2 weeks before the current admission had a higher rate of Gram-negative and co-infections (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Inpatients with pemphigus had a high incidence of BSIs. Some factors were associated with the susceptibility of BSIs and bacterial species.

Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of urinary tract infection among immobile inpatients in China: a prospective, multi-centre study

BACKGROUND

Immobile inpatients have a high risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). Additional epidemiological data regarding UTIs among immobile inpatients are needed.

AIM

To investigate the prevalence and incidence of, and risk factors for, UTIs among immobile patients in 25 hospitals throughout China.

METHODS

This was a national multi-centre cross-sectional investigation. We recruited six tertiary hospitals, 12 non-tertiary hospitals, and seven community hospitals. We obtained data regarding demographics, clinically related variables, and UTI-specific variables from immobile patients during their hospitalization. We performed univariate and multivariable analyses, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors.

FINDINGS

Among 23,985 immobile patients, 393 had a UTI. The prevalence and incidence of UTIs in hospitalized immobile patients was 1.64% (393/23 985) and 0.69 per 1000 patient-days, respectively. The infection rate of catheter-associated UTI was 2.25 per 1000 urinary catheter-days. We found that a greater number of bedridden days, longer length of hospital stay, being in a medical ward, the presence of an indwelling urethral catheter, prolonged duration of an indwelling catheter, use of glucocorticoids, female sex, diabetes mellitus, and older age were independent risk factors of UTI.

CONCLUSION

Immobile patients had similar risk factors for UTI as the general population, as well as some additional risk factors. Greater attention is needed in the management of UTIs among the population of immobile hospitalized patients.

Impact of dysglycemia, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio on the prevalence of systemic hypertension in a lean Chinese population

The purpose of this study was to explore whether dysglycemia, and/or an increased body mass index, and/or an increased waist/hip ratio increased the risk of hypertension in a lean population of South China. The association among dysglycemia, obesity, and hypertension has been well documented in Western populations. A stratified cluster sampling method was used according to the National Diabetes Mellitus Epidemiology Survey Program in 1998. Blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and plasma glucose were measured 2 hours after 75-g oral glucose consumption using the enzymatic method in the morning. Body height, weight, and waist and hip measurements were also collected for the survey. The criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, including impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), were those published by the World Health Organization in 1999. A total of 11,402 participants were included in the investigation (5,195 men and 6,207 women; age 20 to 74 years). A total of 1,775 cases of hypertension were confirmed in the survey. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in those with diabetes mellitus than in those with a normal blood glucose level, in those with IGT than in those with normal glucose tolerance test findings, and in obese participants than in those with a normal weight (45.5% vs 14.4%, 32.2% vs 14.5%, and 20.6% vs 12.1%, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age and gender-adjusted odds ratio of hypertension was 2.24 (95% confidence interval 1.88 to 2.68) with IGT compared with those without IGT. The odds ratio for hypertension associated with an increased body mass index and waist/hip ratio was 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.21) and 1.08 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.09), respectively. In conclusion, the data from an epidemiologic study in South China demonstrated that dysglycemia and increased body mass index and/or waist/hip ratio increase the risk of hypertension even in a lean Chinese population.